Tag Archives: Ms Single Mama

I read some disturbing news last night over at Ms Single Mama’s website. Apparently her and ‘John Bear’ broke up their engagement…on Christmas Eve, no less.

It’s disturbing because a picture had been painted of their relationship through her words; a picture of blissful happiness and finding “the one”. He proposed…she said ‘yes’…they bought a house together…her son called him “dad”. Everything seemed perfect. She inspired a lot of people to help believe in love again.

Apparently there were issues, though…and because I’m just a reader (as we all are) I didn’t know all of the details of what was going on behind the scenes of her blog in her “real life”.

Sunshine and I discussed the break-up last night and we talked how our relationship also inspires people. We wondered if our blogs portrayed a “peachy keen” version of our relationship…if perhaps we weren’t being 100% honest in how we described things. I mean seriously…we do appear to be happy A LOT OF THE TIME.

But then we sat back and realized that while we do have the occasional argument, 90% of our relationship is, in fact, “peachy keen”. We still have that “butterfly” feeling of being in love. We still laugh together. We still love to talk with each other. We truly believe that we’re as happy as our multiple photos show we are.

If it ever becomes close to being over, we’ll know well in advance. Heck…I think you’ll know, too. Our relationship is real enough and strong enough that we’ll be able to recognize it and do our best to work through it before it becomes an issue too big to handle. And we blog…maybe not about 100% of our lives, but a lot of it…so you’ll probably be able to recognize the signs when we do.

IF that ever happens.

But going back to “the news”, I’m very sorry to hear about the break-up of Alaina and John. Hopefully they can both find happiness in 2011…whatever form happiness may take.

So here’s the deal: sometimes I drift off a bit during the day. It’s not like I actually fall asleep or anything…I just let my mind wander.

What I usually do with one of these “Confessions” posts is just jot something down and then finish the thoughts once I’m home. And for whatever reason, people seem to enjoy my random take on the world…

9:01am — After going over a case study on flight attendants, I think about how uncomfortable planes make me. I mean, I don’t know if I’d call it a phobia (like my fear of heights…yowza), but ever since 9/11 I just feel extremely uneasy about planes. Then you hear about the crash in Buffalo or the tragedy of Air France, and it really makes you wonder. Yes…technically speaking…they are the safest form of transportation around. Still…

9:33am –Y’know, Facebook just added the option of creating a “username” for your profile. I’m telling you right now…the first person who is currently a “friend” and changes their real name to a “username” is GETTING UNFRIENDED. Now, on a slightly separate note, if you want to “friend” me on Facebook (and yes…the real me, not a “fan page”)…please feel free to click the picture. I mean, what’s the point of social media if you’re not gonna make connections with people?? AMIRIGHT???

10:31am — And who says learning can’t be entertaining at times? We just watched this:

1:10pm — Man, I’m gonna have a TON of email when I get back to the office. I’m gonna be SOOOO behind. Crap.

1:45pm — During a case study, for whatever reason our team started talking about Metallica. Don’t ask how we got there…it just happened. And of course, as soon as I heard somebody say that their favorite song was “One”, my mind immediately went to this picture (if you don’t get it, don’t worry…it’s an ‘inside joke’ of sorts):

3:45pm — I know that Cher’s daughter just told the world that she wanted to become a dude, but I still think back to her singing career. Well…she had one single. And y’know what? I still listen to it. It ain’t that bad. In fact, I think it’s a pretty dang decent country-pop-rock tune…

4:36pm — Oh dear lord…I’ve got one more frickin’ day of this left??? Ugh…

Y’know, one of the biggest changes that I’ve gone through over the past year has been my attitude. At 36 years old I’ve finally realized that positivity breeds positivity.

After reaching the depths of personal dispair and feeling as though I was at rock bottom (something I’ll finally blog about as the one-year “anniversary” of the incident approaches), my outlook on life has helped to change the life that I lead.

How many times have you heard people complain or grumble about Mondays? Personally, as much as I love weekends, I never have a problem going back in to work on a Monday.

There is something about getting up at 6am, having a long shower, and going outside to a cool crisp 10 degrees (50 degrees fahrenheit). Breathing in the morning air…cranking up a tune in the car on the drive into work…I just can’t complain about anything in my life right now.

And I realize that it’s not normal for a blogger. I mean, most of us turned to blogging as a way to deal with our every day issues…let the world know of our turmoil and anger and pain and stress when the “real world” wouldn’t listen to us. I still feel it’s certainly a form of online therapy and a valid one at that…especially if you’re lucky enough to build-up a network of people that you can share things with.

My life is FAR from perfect. But for me…right now in this moment…I just see too many positives in life to be upset or depressed or angry or sad.

I’ve got a woman who loves me.

Honestly…how can one be depressed when you truly feel like you’re in a mutual loving relationship? Sunshine means the world to me. And at the risk of sounding like a broken record, what she has brought into my life is something I don’t know if I can fully quantify or put into the words that I’d love to be able to write down.

Simply put, she is happiness defined.

I’ve got two amazing kids.

No, I don’t get to see them nearly as often as I’d like (especially the Rugrat)…but my kids love me and both are amazing children in their own unique ways.

Ankle Biter surprises me on a daily basis. Just today I was told by The Ex that she heard him humming a song this morning as they got ready to go to the babysitter’s. She was thinking, “Aww…how nice. He’s singing.” As she got in the car and started to drive, she became mortified (I think…lol) to realize that he was humming the theme song from Star Wars!!! I cannot even begin to pretend that my smile wasn’t a mile wide when she told me that story tonight.

And my daughter? She’s still going through a tough time (adolescence ain’t easy) but she’s got an incredibly unique imagination that I love and she recently told me that she wants to try track-n-field. This is from a girl who is already 5 feet tall at age 10 and didn’t want to do ANY sports. I’m hoping that she feels comfortable enough in her own skin to have fun doing it…whether she wins or not in whatever she does.

I’ve got a pretty okay job.

It’s not a $50,000/year swanky position or anything, but it’s a job I really enjoy. And for the first time since my DJ years, I’m doing a job that I don’t really want to run away from. I would love to be promoted, but it’s not the end-all-to-be-all right now. I’m just happy to be able to enjoy going to work every day. And because I know that doesn’t happen to many people on a daily basis, I embrace it.

I’ve made some pretty good online friends.

Sometimes, it’s so much easier to speak to somebody online than in person. And the great thing about blogging is that you’re immediately accepted into the “blogosphere”…and as long as your participate and join in the festivities, then you can readily create relationships that can spill out into the “real world”. I’ve got my own “Blogger Bingo” card, where you list all of the bloggers that you’d like to meet in person somebody and (hopefully) you can begin marking them off. At a time in my life where connections mean the world to me, the ones I’ve made online mean a LOT.

I’m a good person.

This is something I probably couldn’t have said with any degree of certainly just one year ago. And honestly, it’s taken a LOT of work to be able to look in the mirror and like myself.

But y’know what? I’m different now. My personality is shining through. There aren’t any dark clouds hovering over me. I’m kind…I’m fun…I’m loving. I’m all the things The Ex thought I could be but never allowed me to be. I’m all the things I’ve ever wanted to be but was afraid to become.

I’m me…and every day lately seems to be a good day because of it.

~~~~~~~~~~

So do me a favor…take just a minute today to look at yourself and the immediate world around you. Just 60 seconds. It doesn’t matter if you’re having the best day or the worst. Just take those 60 seconds and try to think of ONLY POSITIVE THINGS ABOUT YOU AND YOUR LIFE.

I am totally addicted to Twitter. I don’t 100% understand how people claim to be able to make a ton of money using it…and I really don’t appreciate them telling me how to write my blog…but I’m addicted.

At the end of the day, though, the thing that brings me back multiple times is twofold: I get to click on random links so that I can read and/or seeing things I’d otherwise never get a chance to read and/or see. In addition, I also find myself easily keeping up-to-date on the lives of some of my favorite fellow bloggers (not to mention get to participate in some fun conversations from time to time).

Thankfully, my TweetDeck allows me to truly follow whomever I want (in the form of a group) and kinda ignore all of the spam while still increasing my follower/following count legitimately (I hate people who hit-n-run).

Alright…everybody ready? Good…’cause it’s once again time to check out my weekly Twitter Tales:

I wasn’t entirely sure which tweet to start off with this week. It’s been just over a week since I’ve done a “Twitter Tales” and a LOT has happened. I guess I’ll just start off with one that made a lof of bloggers happy…

The link then takes you to Morgan’s YouTube page, where she’s absolutely beaming:

So needless to say, big-time CONGRATULATIONS go out to Morgan and “Man in Kentucky”. The marriage taking place THIS MONTH on June 12th!! How awesome is that? Congrats, you two!!

One of the celebrities at the forefront of the “Twitter movement” has been Demi Moore. She truly wants to bring herself closer to the fans, and for that I applaud her. How far is she willing to go? Well…she recently visited the dentist and…well…see for yourself:

Keepin' it real (apparently)

Ms. Single Momma

In what was quite the shocker to myself (and I’m sure to many of her followers), Ms Single Mama made an announcement last week that just blew my mind…she was QUITTING HER JOB!! She has decided that she is going to become a full-time blogger/freelance writer. I’m excited for her but scared at the same time. Obviously, she knows how many hits her website gets and how much revenue can be generated from clicks on ads…but I’m a bit concerned, if I can be honest. So do me a favor, kids…the next time you visit her website, please just click on every ad on her page. At this point, we’re not only supporting her from a reading standpoint, but we’re also helping to support her income (!!)…so clicking on an ad is the least we can d0, right? Best of luck, Alaina…I’m definitely rooting for you.

Tishia Lee

Thank goodness for Tishia and her tweet about the season premiere of Wipeout! I absolutely LOVED that show last year and didn’t even know it was renewed for the summer. Because I’m Canadian, I can’t just go to ABC.com and watch it (hey ABC…Canadians are people, too!!) so I downloaded it and watched it yesterday. I can’t remember laughing that hard (at least not without Sunshine around) in a VERY long time. Can’t wait to make this show a weekly ritual again.

And the whole thing about loving Twitter because I’d get to read stories I’d never read about otherwise? Ummm…I think I could have done without this one, though, from Lucy Siebens:

Daily Momsense

And congrats go out to Daily Momsense, who happily signed her divorce papers this week. For some it’s a time for mourning, for others it’s a cause for celebration. This tweet has actually reminded me that it’s been over two years since The Ex and I went our separate ways. And even though we’re never getting back together, we just haven’t gotten around to finalizing the divorce. Jeez…I gotta get on that. I mean, is that what happens when you’re friends with your ex? It just doesn’t seem like a priority to me. I certainly don’t feel married in the slightest. Anyway…I’m thankful for this tweet. I’m gonna get started on getting mine finalized.

Ahhh….Weird Al Yankovic. I’ve been a fan since 1983 and the first time I heard I love rocky road just blew me away. Seriously…over 25 years ago. Wow I’m old. Anyway, Al’s on Twitter quite a bit and seems to be “Mr. Celebrity”. He loves posting pics of him with famous people all the time. I can’t say as I blame him…I’d be doing the exact same thing.

Al & Chris Daughtry

Al & Slash

Al & Jason Bateman

Al & William f'kn Shatner!!

Because it’s basically “real time” information, I was using Twitter over the weekend to find out whether or not Susan Boyle was going to win Britain’s Got Talent. Well, I found out pretty much as soon as it was announced, and I think the comparison is pretty accurate (and like Lambert, she’ll do just fine on her own without winning):

Ummm…I think I’ve just seen the strangest movie trailer ever. And y’know what? I guess you can’t really knock them for having a lack of originality. Thanks, Depot Dad!!

I’m a huge fan of Redneck Mommy. I’m a fan of the NHL (I am Canadian, after all). I’m an even bigger fan of “metal viking bustiers” (what…isn’t everybody?). So when you combine the three and add in a bet from Queen of Spain, you get one of the most intriguing Stanley Cup Finals of all time. I’ll admit, I want to see the Penguins win because Sidney Crosby is a local Maritime boy. On the other hand, seeing Tanis in a metal bra is almost worth taking the loss to the Red Wings. Hmmm…the loyalties are being tested, people:

Finally, Collective Soul has always been one of my all-time favorite bands. I kick myself all the time for not catching them in concert when they were here a few years ago. So I was quite happy to know that not only were they on Twitter, but they followed people (!!!) who follow them…they RT messages…they responded to questions…and they also have a contest for fans. So while I don’t know if this blurb is considered to be an “official entry”, I feel the need to mention that they’ve also got their own blog and start touring again very soon. And of course, I feel the need to end this post with a song (and an absolutely AMAZING performance):

Twitter Tales

While not yet 100% sold on all of Twitter’s positives and benefits (although I’m getting closer and closer every single week), I still find myself totally addicted to it (and yes…I say this every time).

The thing that keeps me coming back over and over isn’t the possibility that I could end up with thousands of followers with whom I could spam with lame money-making opportunities (seriously…are you people millionaires ore pretendonaires?) or “how-to” advice (my blog is fine, thanks).

No, the thing that brings me back multiple times every single day is clicking on links and reading and/or seeing things I’d otherwise never get a chance to read and/or see (not to mention getting some awesome fellow blogger updates). Thankfully, my TweetDeck allows me to truly follow whomever I want to and kinda ignore all of the spam while still increasing my follower/following count legitimately (I hate people who hit-n-run).

So once again, it’s time to check out my weekly Twitter Tales:

Depot Dad

Jim, aka Depot Dad, went into surgery related to his cancer this morning . I gotta be honest…I don’t know exactly what he went in for. He has a nodule on his lung that is growing. So I think the surgery was to test the nodules for cancerous activity…similar to what my cousin went through last year. Obviously, my hope is that Jim’s results are much different. I went through a hellacious year in 2008 with my mom battling a brain tumor and my cousin falling victim to throat cancer at 34 years old…so when I heard about Depot Dad’s situation, I just couldn’t help but gravitate towards it. Gang, if you have a chance…either tweet Jim or drop by his blog and say “hi”. Send some well-wishes his way. You never know just how much good some positivity can do for somebody who is in a tough situation.

I’ve mentioned before than one of my favorite directors, Jon Favreau, has been tweeting little bits and pieces while filming the new Iron Man movie. Well…this tweet was pretty awesome, especially for a dork like me:

Laura

Laura had a pretty great job interview this week. FINGERS CROSSED…something good happened and it went really well. She is like millions of people around the world right now, doing their best to keep above water in a brutal economy that wants to drown as many people as possible. It’s tough for everybody right now…so to read a blogger being so honest about how tough it is, especially when you’re a single mom, is inspiring. It also makes me want to root for the underdog. I mean, who said that life isn’t allowed to have happy endings?

Speaking of happy endings (or at least happy right nows), MsSingleMama is riding high these days. Not only did she pick up a new Ford Fiesta last weekend, but she celebrated by getting a tattoo. Not only that, but she’s dating “The Lion” (shhh…she doesn’t want to scare and/or startle him…he might bite and/or run away!), she’s looking at buying a new house, and she also made a video about her tattoo experience and threw it up on YouTube for the world to enjoy:

There was a big story surrounding Good Charlotte member Joel Madden this week. He made the following tweet and it ended up making international headlines:

Now, the fallout hasn’t completely finished yet. So British Air wouldn’t let him on the plane unless he covered up his tattoos? I mean, WTF?? British Air has apologized since for the incident since there is nothing in their flight manuals or rulebooks that say anything about tattoos that would make them a flight risk. Certainly a clear-cut case of personal bias, but to me what’s more interesting is that this story is just another example of the incredible power of this new social media. Madden tweeted and immediately there was reaction around the world. I mean, there simply isn’t any other form of media around that can cause this much of a stir. This is where we’re going with Tweeter…and anybody who doesn’t truly understand it will learn soon enough, I think.

I really enjoyed the first Transformers movie. It had some silly moments, but overall it was an extremely entertaining movie. So I’ve been interested in seeing the sequel that’s coming out this summer. Just to whet my appetite a bit more, the latest HD trailer for Transformers 2 just came out…and thanks to TrailerAddict, I found out about it on Twitter. Ummm…yeah…it rocks. Hard.

T

MY T CAME BACK HOME!! Heh. Ahem…sorry. So yeah, T came back from her European Vacation. She had quite the amazing time...eating waffles, drinking beer, watching live sex shows… Wait. What?? Yep…that’s just one of the reasons I’ve got my huge internet crush on T: she’s just too cool for words. I know my ex-wife would have never done HALF of the things T did on her trip, and it’s not like T did anything insanely crazy (at least not in my book). I know what my problem is. I just need to find myself a Canadian T…

Oh…here’s something that probably only I find interesting: concert riders. Basically, these are the backstage “demands” of performers at concerts (y’know…like the old Van Halen one that asked for M&M’s with all the brown ones removed?). The Smoking Gun has a ton of them on their site, but just recently uploaded some new ones from Pearl Jam, Jason Mraz, Filter, and Ryan Adams.

One of my favorite tweeters is Darth Vader (how surreal is it to say that?). Whomever is behind this guy is doing a fantastic job of staying in character and still being funny as hell (at least to a dork like me). I think he deserves honors for Tweet of the Week:

But on top of that, he also apparently answers parenting questions. Here is a quick little Q & A that cracked me up and literally had me laughing out loud:

Dr. Leah brought up an extremely interesting topic this week. Do “mommy bloggers” (or in my case, daddy blogger…duh) take things too far with all of their kid pictures online? How much is too much? Where does one draw the line between honesty and TMI? I don’t know if there’s a right or wrong answer (you obviously know where I stand on the subject by reading my blog), but it certainly does make one think.

And finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t re-post the information I first found from a tweet by Nicole, SingleMomInTheCity. She actually nominated me for “Hottest Daddy Blogger” as part of the 2009 Blogger’s Choice Awards. And believe me…I’ll be milking this as much as possible as the year continues on. I’ve got six votes at last count…pretty impressive for an overweight bald dork from Atlantic Canada. So please…be merciful and vote for me to be “Hottest Daddy Blogger”. I’m only about 194 votes behind the current leader…so I figure if NOBODY votes for him for the rest of the year and EVERYBODY votes for me, I’ve got an outside shot:

Yes…my shot at winning is slim to none and slim just left town. But still…for my self-esteem…a vote or two couldn’t hurt.